The present invention relates to a photographic film cartridge and camera including the cartridge and in particular although not solely of a kind to provide a semi disposable use.
Nowadays, commonly used photographic films include 135 films, 120 films, 110 films and APS films, among which 135 films are the most popular films. 120 films are mainly used for commercial purposes because of their high quality and larger sizes. The size of 110 films is relatively small and its quality is relatively low, so it is not very popular. APS is a new technology and has a lot of advanced features, however, its film development system is not compatible with 135""s , so the growth of APS has been restricted.
The development of disposable cameras has been comparatively fast.
There are many advantages in that they are easy to operate, low in cost, easy to carry and the quality is acceptable. Disposable cameras are particularly suitable for beginners. Since the procedures of inserting and removing the film involves some degree of knowledge and skill, the current disposable camera avoids the possibility of errors as far as loading of films is concerned because the film is pre-loaded.
There are two main disadvantages of disposable cameras. The cost of buying the camera includes both the camera set and the film set, but the camera set is disposed of after a single use although some of them may be recycled. This creates waste. Secondly, being a disposable item in nature, there is tight control on the production cost which therefore restricts the inclusion of more advanced features such as auto flash, auto wind and higher quality lens.
People have been trying to develop a product which can produce good quality photos like an ordinary 135 film camera but at the price of and with simplicity of operations of a disposable camera.
A combination camera body with features such as the lens, shutter, dark room and film winder which was capable of receiving a replaceable film cartridge has been available to the public before. The cartridge for use with the camera body came in the form of two film spooling regions, a first spooling region where the film was spooled in an unused state and a second spooling region to which the film was advanced after having been exposed. The two spooling regions were interconnected by a bridging portion wherein the bridging portion held the film in a position relative to the lens and shutter to allow exposure of each frame of the film. The spooling regions were effectively light sealed regions such that any film within the spooling regions could not be exposed to light. The film extending across the bridging region was able to be exposed to light and, when in use, such light was controlled by the lens and shutter arrangement of the camera body. The cartridge, outside of the camera body, did not provide any dark room effect to the film between the two spooling regions. Hence the use of cameras of this type required the film to be inserted into the camera body and remain within the body during the stages where the film was advanced from one spooling region to another, if no undesirable exposure of the film was to occur as a result of the cartridge being removed from the camera body and thereby allowing any films extending across the bridging region to be exposed. Such earlier designs hence did not lend themselves to allowing for film cartridges to be removed midway during use of the film without risking detrimental exposure of the film extending between the two spooling regions. Earlier type of design also required separate apparatus for processing the film in terms of handling the film from the cartridge after it had been used. Since the predominant format of film now is the 35 mm format and indeed the earlier film types in the cartridges such as the 110 format are now very uncommon, most development labs are set up for developing the 35 mm format or the APS format. Any introduction of a new format may mean that further handling equipment will need to be purchased by development labs to which there will be resistance. It would hence be desirable for a film cartridge to exist which includes a standard 35 mm film incorporated with a film canister which will make the subsequent handling of the film for development by development labs convenient.
It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide a photographic film cartridge which may be used with a camera body which provides greater flexibility and convenience of use or which will at least provide the public with a useful choice.
It is a further object to provide a camera body and film cartridge combination set which provides greater flexibility and convenience of use or which will at least provide the public with a useful choice.
It is a further object to provide a camera with a film cartridge removable and exchangeable without undesirable exposing of the film therein.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a film cartridge which includes a preloaded film engaged for scrolling to and/or from a standard 35 mm or APS film canister.
Accordingly, a first aspect of the camera according to the present invention broadly comprises a photographic film cartridge forming a dark room for accommodating a film, and a camera body having a receptacle for removably and snugly accepting the cartridge therein. The cartridge is provided with an opening which remains closed when the cartridge is removed from the receptacle, and is openable for exposing the film to a light control device to form an image on the film when the cartridge is accepted in the receptacle.
A door is provided to be selectively movable between a first position to close the opening and a second position to open the opening. Preferably the door is forced to remain at the first position by a spring and kept there by a locking latch when the cartridge is outside the camera body. Preferably the locking latch is unlocked and the door is moved to the second position upon insertion of the cartridge into the receptacle.
Thus, the cartridge can be removed from the camera body anytime without exposing the film therein. This is very helpful when a user wants to change different types of film to suit different uses (e.g. different ASA) or the grouping of photos of a particular nature in a particular roll of film/film set (e.g. different occasions, different groups of people, different subject matters etc). Interchangeability of camera bodies for one film cartridge can also be achieved with the present invention. A camera body which provides particular features such as a wide angled lens, a colored lens or other effect type lens may be provided, where the film cartridge of the present invention is interchangeable between such bodies.
A second aspect of the present invention broadly comprises a film cartridge containing a film for engagement with a camera body to thereby in combination allow the capturing of an image onto the film in reliance on appropriately provided and positioned light control and projection means of said camera body to selectively allow light to be projected onto a portion of the film in said cartridge to thereby be exposed by said light. The film cartridge comprises: an unexposed film spool region, a second spool region, and a bridging portion between the unexposed film spool region and the second spool region via which the film can be advanced to at least in part be moved from the unexposed film spool region to the second region. The bridging region provides a dark room for the film between the unexposed film spool region and the second spool region. The bridging region includes an opening positioned such that when the film cartridge is engaged with the camera body, film is presented for exposure by light admitted through the light control means of the camera body and the opening of the film cartridge.
A door is provided to the film cartridge to selectively move between a first and second position In the first position, the cartridge opening is closed to prevent light from entering the dark room. In the second condition, the opening is open to allow exposure of the film.
A third aspect of the present invention broadly comprises a camera having a camera body and a film cartridge containing a film, in engagement with the camera body to thereby in combination allow the capture of an image onto the film in reliance on appropriately provided and positioned light control and projection means of the camera body to selectively allow light to be projected onto a portion of the film in the cartridge to thereby be exposed to light.
The film cartridge comprises: an unexposed film spool region, a second spool region and a bridging portion between the unexposed film spool region and the second spool region via which the film can be advanced to at least in part be moved from the unexposed film spool region to the second region.
The bridging region provides a dark room for the film between the unexposed film spool region and the second spool region. The bridging region includes an opening positioned such that when the film cartridge is engaged with the camera body, film is presented for exposure to light admitted through the light control means of the camera body and the opening of the film cartridge.
A door is provided to the film cartridge to selectively move between a first and second position. In the first position, the opening is closed to prevent light from entering the dark room and in the second condition, the opening is open to allow exposure of the film. The door is preferably maintained in the first position until the cartridge is fully engaged in the camera body.
Preferably, when in a fully engaged condition, the camera body and the cartridge cooperate to define a region which is fight sealed except when the light control means is activated to expose part of the film in the bridging portion.
The door is preferably actuated to move between the first and second positions by an actuation means of the camera body.
Preferably a safety latch is provided to prevent the door from being accidentally opened when the cartridge is not in the camera body.
A spring is preferably used to move the door from the first position to the second position. The door is preferably pivotably engaged to said bridging region or is translatably engaged to said bridging region.
The actuation means preferably engages a safety latch for the door to trigger the movement of the door from the second position to the first position. A spring is preferably used to move the door from the second position to the first position. The actuation means preferably becomes operable to move the door upon the action of insertion and removal of the cartridge with the camera body.
The actuation means is preferably operable by the action of the user once the cartridge is fully engaged with the camera body. The actuation means is preferably operable upon depression of the camera body shutter control button.
Film provided inside the cartridge is engaged to a film canister, preferably of a standard 35 mm format. The film canister is preferably located at the unexposed film spool region of the cartridge such that during advancement of the film for exposure, the film is at least in part transferred from the canister to the second spool region. The film canister may preferably be located at the second spool region of the cartridge such that during advancement of the film for exposure, the film is transferred from the second spool region to the canister. The film cartridge is preferably provided for use in a condition wherein the unexposed film is in a substantial part spooled in the unexposed spool region and wherein the film extends to a distal end thereof engaged to the film canister located in the second spool region.
A further aspect of the present invention comprises a camera body for use in combination with a film cartridge as hereinbefore described A further aspect comprises a camera body and at least one film cartridge as hereinbefore described provided in a marketable pack suitable for retail.
Yet another aspect of the present invention broadly consists in a camera or a film cartridge for use to define a camera having a control unit with which the cartridge can, in engagement with the control unit in combination, allow capture of an image onto the film in reliance on appropriately provided and positioned shutter and projection means of the cartridge, to selectively allow light to be projected onto a portion of the film in the cartridge to thereby be exposed by the light, wherein the control unit provides at least one of a trigger for activating the movement of the shutter, a flash, a film winder, a view finder, a film counter.
The film cartridge comprises: an unexposed film spool region, a second spool region and a bridging portion between the unexposed film spool region and the second spool region via which film can be advanced to at least in part be moved from the unexposed film spool region to the second region.
The bridging region provides a dark room for the film between the unexposed film spool region and the second spool region. The bridging region includes a light aperture and shutter and projection means (e.g. a lens) positioned such that when the film cartridge is engaged with the control unit, film is presented for exposure by light selectively admitted through the aperture.
A further aspect of the present invention comprises a film cartridge containing a film of an elongate kind having a first distal end and a second distal end engaged to a spooling spindle within a film canister, the cartridge being engageable with a camera body to thereby in combination allow the capturing of images onto the film in reliance on appropriately provided and positioned light control and projection means of the camera body, which selectively allow light to be projected onto a portion of the film in said cartridge. The film cartridge comprises: an unexposed film spool region, a second spool region within which the film canister is retained and a bridging portion between the unexposed film spool region and the second spool region via which the film can be advanced to at least in part be moved from the unexposed film spool region to the second region.
The bridging region provides a dark room for the film extending between the unexposed film spool region and the second spool region, when the film cartridge is engaged to the camera body. The bridging region includes an opening positioned such that when the film cartridge is engaged with the camera body, that portion of the film in the dark room is presented for exposure to light admitted through the light control means of the camera body and the opening of the film cartridge.
The film cartridge prevents light from entering the unexposed spool. The film cartridge is preferably a housing within which the film is located and sealed from exposure to light save for that portion of the film in the dark room.
The bridging region is preferably an enclosure which includes the opening The enclosure is preferably also open to the second spool region. The unexposed spool region is preferably enclosed except for a narrow slot through which the film can pass, such that the film in the unexposed film spool region is substantially sealed against light. The second spool region preferably includes means for driving the spooling spindle externally of the film cartridge.
The cartridge may be of one piece. But in an alternate embodiment, it is separable into one part with one of the spool regions and another part with the rest of the cartridge. The parts are detachably latchable together. This facilitates removal of film from the one part and also permits easy installation of a new film supply into the one part, which may then be transferred back to the other spool region. From the other spool region, the film can be returned to the first spool region, this time exposing the film to the images in succession.
The housing of the camera body is preferably a two part housing having a front and rear part separably engaged to each other. The rear part is preferably a lid separably engaged to the front part.
The housing detents the cartridge in the camera body. As the camera body has a receptacle with an opening into it, the photographic film cartridge is installed in the receptacle. It is guided into position by a cooperating protrusion into groove connectors.
Once the cartridge is fully installed, detent tabs on the camera body snap into recesses in the rear of the cartridge and retain the cartridge. To release the cartridge a release device moves the tabs off the cartridge. It may comprise a lever or bar which is shifted to raise the tabs. A switch operates the lever or bar to release the cartridge.
This invention may also be said broadly to consist of the parts, elements and features referred to or indicated in this specification, individually or collectively, and any or all combinations of any two or more of said parts, elements or features, and where specific integers are mentioned herein which have known equivalents in the art to which this invention relates, such known equivalents are deemed to be incorporated herein as if individually set forth.